Mysterious Chinese seeds.

[Sherringford Hovis]

why not trick the Americans

Watchmen is ruined - Alan Moore's pivotal assertion that the planet could unite in peace against an existential threat also seems naively optimistic, when wearing a facemask or not being a racist prick or doing something concrete about climate-change or thinking about post-capitalism is an anathema for so many.

[Ray Travez]

Really? That's fucking amazing. I dare you to plant one. (In a controlled environment of course that adheres to local ecological standards) - Like a plant pot.

You got any pics?

Can you post a photo Ray? 

No I'm afraid not. Like I say, my wife was really uncomfortable about the whole thing, so I binned them. For reference, the envelope looked exactly like those posted in the previous photo, and the seeds looked, well, like tomato seeds but a bit furrier.

My wife had been watching the 70's drama Survivors and I think she had a worry that the seeds were perhaps spores of something deadly; whereas my thoughts were more along the lines of- you phone the telephone number on the package;

-hello? I have just been sent some seeds from you that I didn't order

-oh, that's ok. They're a free sample of Mysterious Chinese Seeds. If you like them please order more at our website, MysteriousSeeds100%kosher.com

-thanks for your help

-not at all

Then nine days later you get a phone bill for twenty thousand pounds. The relatively innocent and more likely 'brushing' explanation is really quite a disappointment.

Btw, Ray, you didn't sell any cows lately, did you?

Not lately, no.

[JesusAndYourBush]

The Guardian did an article about it today...
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/01/mystery-seed-parcels-world-biosecurity-china-uk-us

[Pearly-Dewdrops Drops]

Strategic PRC beanstalks to steal our Freedoms.

[Head Gardener]

Japanese Knotweed, obv

[BlodwynPig]

Surely there has been enough time to genetically identify these seeds. If it takes less than a day to identify a terror suspect half way round the world, you'd think this would be a doddle

[Captain Z]

I unwittingly ate some of these. Unfortunately I have caught covid, but on the plus side my 5G reception is brilliant.

[Pearly-Dewdrops Drops]

Surely there has been enough time to genetically identify these seeds. If it takes less than a day to identify a terror suspect half way round the world, you'd think this would be a doddle

That would be a logical course of action if these seeds were actually a concern and not just some media-driven China Panic based on an obvious online merchandising scam (possibly based out of Taiwan?).

The Russians are putting fluoride in our water!

[BlodwynPig]

That would be a logical course of action if these seeds were actually a concern and not just some media-driven China Panic based on an obvious online merchandising scam (possibly based out of Taiwan?).

The Russians are putting fluoride in our water!

Thank you. This is all I needed to know.

[paruses]

I wondered the same as blodwyn. I should think some batches have been tested and turned out to be pumpkins or carrots or cress but They don't want to release a statement saying "yea they're just lettuce seeds" because not all batches can be tested and some will be lettuces or broad beans but some will be triffids (or something shit like knot weed).

Doesn't mean it's malicious but all the same it's probably best not to give license to plant any old thing that's sent to you from somewhere else in the world.

[idunnosomename]

it's probably just sending really lightweight shit out to be able to post fake amazon reviews.

not this

https://youtu.be/7RjFvcw6ToQ?t=476

(ace model shots)

[paruses]

it's probably just sending really lightweight shit out to be able to post fake amazon reviews.

Can someone explain how this works? If I send you some seeds how can I then post reviews about how great the other shitty tat I am selling is?

[idunnosomename]

i guess they have proof of postage? I was in the car more than ever recently so heard a bit about it on R4. there was also a bit on QAnon. it was like ben garrison was on my FM radio

[BlodwynPig]

it's probably just sending really lightweight shit out to be able to post fake amazon reviews.

not this

https://youtu.be/7RjFvcw6ToQ?t=476

(ace model shots)

seems a bit convoluted. the zenith of the capitalist dream.

[Harry Badger]

Can someone explain how this works? If I send you some seeds how can I then post reviews about how great the other shitty tat I am selling is?

This is how it happened with me. They access your Amazon account and order stuff to addresses in your address book using the saved card then review the items. The orders are then archived so they aren't immediately obvious to you - I'd strongly suggest anyone who's had seeds sent to them to look in their archive/check their bank account.

I must say, the reviews were genuinely well written.

[dissolute ocelot]

Fuck that's needlessly complex, but would explain a lot of generic reviews saying things like "The item was promptly delivered, just what I wanted!"

[seepage]

This is how it happened with me. They access your Amazon account and order stuff to addresses in your address book using the saved card then review the items. The orders are then archived so they aren't immediately obvious to you - I'd strongly suggest anyone who's had seeds sent to them to look in their archive/check their bank account.

I must say, the reviews were genuinely well written.

How do they suppress the order confirmation email?

[steveh]

Vice have a piece following-up on the story, though still without any real answers:

Eventually, the official line became that this was a "brushing" campaign, in which items of small value are sent to people whose online accounts have been compromised, or are sent to people as a "gift." In order to leave a positive review from a "verified buyer" (which is weighted higher because the person nominally bought and used the product), you need to have actually bought or received an item, so by receiving seeds, reviews from that account or name will be weighted higher.

The "brushing" idea is still what USDA and other agencies are saying, but, at least in the emails I've reviewed there's very little talk about how the scam worked or why it happened. This campaign also seems to be much larger than any other known brushing campaign or any other seed mailing campaign.

CBP says that it intercepts 15,000 seeds "from all sources worldwide" in a year, according to an information sheet I obtained from New Hampshire. It is obvious from the number of complaints filed to just a handful of states that this campaign targeted far more than 15,000 people; the number who even bothered to fill out an online form or call the authorities seems to be significantly higher than that.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/akz9qk/hundreds-of-americans-planted-chinese-mystery-seeds

[touchingcloth]

The brushing thing makes no sense. The BBC said it was something like they will place fake orders using real address details so they can post reviews, but that this "requires a shipment to have taken place", so they send the cheapest and lightest things they can.

But how would Amazon know if an actual shipment had taken place? Given that there's no actual customer to complain they could just hit the dispatcher button and get all the benefits sans actual delivery.

[dissolute ocelot]

The brushing thing makes no sense. The BBC said it was something like they will place fake orders using real address details so they can post reviews, but that this "requires a shipment to have taken place", so they send the cheapest and lightest things they can.

Yeah, if you wanted to send something cheap and light you could mail a card or plastic clip/jewelry/badge/tie/stud/button (any random plastic accessory you can buy by the 1000) or something like that. It makes very little sense to send seeds, which are more likely to be stopped by customs and are fiddly to handle or require packaging. Unless you're hoping that people will actually plant the seeds.